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Rega P3-24 or RB301 anti-skating bias

Hi, I recently bought a Rega Rega P3-24 (with the RB301 arm). In setting it up, it appears that the anti-skating is radically out of adjustment. I have tried sliding the bias adjustment slider, but at all settings the arm is pulled rather noticeably back toward the arm rest/cueing lever.

For example, when trying to set the tracking control, the instructions say to "slide the balance weight along its shaft until the stylus is “floating” just 1mm clear of the record." No matter where I set the bias slider, I can't get the arm to stay in one place when it's floating. Instead, it immediately and quickly returns to the arm rest/cueing lever.

I would welcome ANY advice.
bob19096
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,462 posts
 
Use no (or as little as your arm will permit) bias adjustment. There is questionable need for such a device. I use none and there are many who feel that is correct. There is no solid agreement either way.
aschaub
6 posts
 
I recently setup a P3-24 with an RB-301 and a Dynavector 20x2-L. It took a lot of effort to get it to sound right, but once I did, it was well worth the effort. Basically, even at a tracking force of 0, the arm will drift back to its stand, so that's normal. Secondly, I strongly recommend you use a good stylus force gauge and set the tracking force without using the tracking force knob. It does have a tendency to pull the stylus out of alignment with the cartridge's magnets when set at anything besides 0 and lessen the sound quality. Just use the main static weight and spend the $70 or so it now costs to get a quality digital stylus force gauge. It will be be well worth it.
aschaub
6 posts
 
Oh, and don't stress too much about the anti-skate. I keep it set to the minimum necessary and it sounds lovely.
josefm
53 posts
 
So zero AS position is...??? All the way in, all the way out?
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